The Big Book of Kitchen Gardens

Rating:
Summary: A well organized book full of helpful tips and guidelines
Review: I would not say this is the difinitive "kitchen garden book." But it does have a plethora of information. While many gardening books give examples of vegetable plots, this is the first one that photographs the site and then numbers all the plants. It makes it very clear which plant is which instead of having to guess. The book is organized in a straightforward manner from the planning to harvest. Their reference section is extremely comprehensive. One of the sections that I found particularly easy to read is the Plant Selection Guide for both herbs and vegetables. All of the plants are lined up with their basic planting requirements: planting depth, sun/partial sun, zones, etc. There is an interesting array of receipts that I will have to try..."Pear, Watercresss, and Lentil Salad" and "Root Vegetable and Apple Stew." Overall, this is a solid vegetable gardening book with loads of advice especially on herbs.

Rating:
Summary: The tomatoes are growing!
Review: I'll admit it, gardening has not gone smoothly for me. I have trouble keeping houseplants alive, largely due to neglect. I don't have time for a garden that requires more tending than my children. And I live in an apartment. But there's always been something about growing my own tomatoes that has appealed to me. So when I saw this book, I thought why not? It is a comprehensive guide to growing produce for your table, in small manageable beds or in containers. Just my speed. Plus, it's all organic. No dangerous and expensive chemicals to keep in the house, no worry about toxic overflow onto the neighbor's balcony below.

Three months later, I have plants growing on my balcony. Growing WELL on my balcony. Not just tomatoes, but radishes, cucumbers, lettuce and pole beans (we're still waiting on the watermelon, but we only planted it last week), mostly in plastic storage tubs with holes drilled in the bottom. We've actually eaten some of them--just like they were grown in a great big garden, with actual ground! The advice in this book is very easy to follow, from what to grow your container veggies in to what varieties to plant (and you can actually FIND these varieties, unlike the froufrou ones recommended in some books that have to be specially shipped from Asia or Europe) and how to harvest them once they've produced. There's a guide to pests (even containers get them) and suggestions for controlling them naturally. The only piece of advice you need that this book doesn't have is this -- if you don't have a compost pile (which is unlikely if you live in a second floor apartment), you can buy humus mixed with manure at your local garden center and it works just as well. Now, buy the book and start growing!

Rating:
Summary: The tomatoes are growing!
Review: I'll admit it, gardening has not gone smoothly for me. I have trouble keeping houseplants alive, largely due to neglect. I don't have time for a garden that requires more tending than my children. And I live in an apartment. But there's always been something about growing my own tomatoes that has appealed to me. So when I saw this book, I thought why not? It is a comprehensive guide to growing produce for your table, in small manageable beds or in containers. Just my speed. Plus, it's all organic. No dangerous and expensive chemicals to keep in the house, no worry about toxic overflow onto the neighbor's balcony below.

Three months later, I have plants growing on my balcony. Growing WELL on my balcony. Not just tomatoes, but radishes, cucumbers, lettuce and pole beans (we're still waiting on the watermelon, but we only planted it last week), mostly in plastic storage tubs with holes drilled in the bottom. We've actually eaten some of them--just like they were grown in a great big garden, with actual ground! The advice in this book is very easy to follow, from what to grow your container veggies in to what varieties to plant (and you can actually FIND these varieties, unlike the froufrou ones recommended in some books that have to be specially shipped from Asia or Europe) and how to harvest them once they've produced. There's a guide to pests (even containers get them) and suggestions for controlling them naturally. The only piece of advice you need that this book doesn't have is this -- if you don't have a compost pile (which is unlikely if you live in a second floor apartment), you can buy humus mixed with manure at your local garden center and it works just as well. Now, buy the book and start growing!